Edgar Allan Poe (1809-1849)
Download
Report
Transcript Edgar Allan Poe (1809-1849)
Edgar Allan Poe (1809-1849)
Melodramatic Life
Determining the facts of Poe’s life has
proved difficult, as legend became
entwined with fact even before he died.
Some of these legends were spread by
Poe himself.
Two days after Poe’s death, his literary
executor began a smear campaign,
rewriting Poe’s correspondence so as to
alienate many of his friends.
Early Life
Poe was born in Boston on January 19,
1809, his parents’ second child.
His father deserted the family a year
later.
In December 1811, his mother died at
twenty-four, and her husband
disappeared completely.
Poe was taken in by John Allan, a
successful and stable Richmond
merchant.
College and West Point
Poe spent most of 1826 at the
University of West Virginia, doing well in
his studies, but running up gambling
debts and drinking.
He was admitted at West Point in 1830,
but got himself expelled by missing
classes and roll calls.
By 1831, Poe had already published
three versions of his early poetry.
Poe’s Death
During the last two years of his life, Poe was
seriously ill--perhaps with a brain lesion
caused by:
Stroke, Brain tumors, Abnormal connection
between blood vessels in the brain
(arteriovenous malformations), Multiple
sclerosis, Brain injury.
On Election Day, October 3, 1849, he was
found senseless in a polling place.
Taken to a hospital, he died on October 7, “of
congestion of the brain.” (brain swelling)
A recent theory is that he died of rabies.
Poe worked in a variety of
genres (1827-1849)
Criticism--he gained a national reputation as a
virulently sarcastic critic, a literary hatchetman. The
bulk of his writing consists of his criticism, and his
most abiding ambition was to become a powerful
critic.
Poetry--He was an experimental poet.
Psychological fiction--He wanted to produce the
greatest possible horrific effects on the reader.
Detective Story--Poe created this form when he was
32.
Characteristics of Poe’s
detective stories
Poe uses foreshadowing
The writer/narrator strives to appear
objective.
The climax of the story is the narrator’s
explanation of the crime.
Poe and the Gothic
Poe did not want to write gothic stories;
he started his career spoofing the
Gothic.
He transformed tales of terror into
psychological stories; he delved into the
mysterious recesses of the human
mind.
Elements of Gothic in Poe’s
Fiction
Grim setting
– Landscapes are often reflections of
character’s mind.
– Unusual buildings, extremes of nature,
eccentric works of art
– Very few of his stories take place in
America; most take place in Europe or
Never-never-land.
Other elements of the Gothic
Hidden evil
– Unspeakable, mysterious crimes, including incest
and parricide
Obsession with Death
– Ghosts, blood, body parts
Maniacal Laughter
Deformity
– the grotesque--people who don’t look right are
capable of activity beyond the norm
An element of Poe’s style
Poe uses vocabulary to create setting,
for effect, rather than for information.
Modern horror films use music to create
atmosphere; Poe used vocabulary.